How to build links without creating content: 5 examples

Link building isn’t some mystical SEO hack. Building links is straightforward: find relevant sites that have a reason to link and convince them to link.

Why would another site link to yours? For a variety of reasons: because a relationship already exists; because they’re talking about your business/products; because you’re a valuable resource for their audience; or because you’re involved in the same community events. These are other reasons, of course.

Links represent a relationship and connection online. If you want to build links without creating content, then you should be looking for opportunities created by existing relationships and connections.

Providing value is essential to earning links. You’ll never secure meaningful links unless there is value in the link for the other site—value for them, their website and their audience.

Any link-building tactic (including content creation) can be abused, and you shouldn’t build relationships and engage with your community for the sake of links alone. Pursuing links for SEO value alone breeds the wrong mindset, leading to strained relationships, damaged brand reputation and low-quality, spammy links.

Focus on delivering value first, and then ensure you’re receiving links as an added benefit.

Content creation is one way to provide value and secure links, but there are a variety of other ways you can leverage the value your company offers to secure links.

Here are a few opportunities that likely already exist for your business that you can use to build links without content:

Mentions

Directories

Partnerships

Community involvement

Testimonials and reviews

Links result from real connections. As long as your business is active and engaged in sound marketing, you can build links without creating fresh content.

Some opinions expressed in this article may be those of a guest author and not necessarily Marketing Land. Staff authors are listed here.

About The Author

Andrew Dennis is a Content Marketing Specialist at Page One Power and a Staff Writer for Linkarati. As a Staff Writer at Linkarati Andrew gets to explore the ever-changing and exciting world of SEO on a daily basis. When he’s not writing about link building and SEO, you’ll find him attending and/or watching live sporting events. Andrew remains confident that he will see a Detroit Lions Super Bowl victory before he dies.